How to Clean a Mattress

Last Updated: December 28th, 2018 by Marie Seska

We spend about 1/3 of our time sleeping on a mattress. All this time leads to a build up of dead skin, hair, sweat, dust and other bodily fluids on our mattresses! Just washing your sheets is not enough, it is important to clean your mattress as well as the sheets!

But how do you clean a mattress? Especially if it has stains, urine, blood, sweat or vomit stains?

Cleaning your mattress is actually easier than you think, and you probably have all the cleaning supplies in the closet!

Step by Step Cleaning Instructions

Before you start cleaning your mattress, wash the sheets, blankets, pillow cases and pillows. Double check the settings on any comforters and pillows to prevent shrinkage!

1. Start with the Vacuum

Start cleaning your mattress with a good vacuuming. Any vacuums will work for cleaning your mattress. We recommend something that is small and handheld, with extensions that reach into ALL the cracks and crevices.

Large vacuums will work too but your might look a bit silly using it!

Make sure to get all parts of the mattress, including the sides for best results.

2. Deodorize with Baking Soda

Mattresses begin to smell over time, especially if you sweat at night (or sleep with a dog that wets the bed). Deodorize your mattress by sprinkling baking soda over the entire mattress then gently rubbing it in with a brush, letting the baking soda sit for 5 minutes.

If you are having trouble getting an even spread grab a shaker from the kitchen.

After letting the baking soda sit 5 to 10 minutes pick it up using your vacuum. The baking soda absorbs moisture, oils and other odor causing particles that are stuck in the fabric.

3. Remove Mattress Stains

After removing dirt and smells the only thing left to clean is the stains. Sweat, blood, urine, drinks and other stains build up over time and can be difficult to remove.

Removing Blood from a Mattress

Ever have a scab open up at night or a bloody nose and wake up to a bloody mattress? Small cuts can produce a surprising amount of blood that gets all over your bed.

Start cleaning the dried blood by making a paste of 1/4 hydrogen peroxide plus 1 tbsp of dish soap and 1 tbsp of table salt. Spread the mixture onto stains using an old hand towel and let it dry before removing with a dry cloth. Blood is tough to remove and might need a few rounds of paste!

Cleaning Urine aka Pee

Urine is one of the most commonly found mattress stains. Removal is difficult, but not impossible once it had set and dried. For best results always try to clean urine (or any other liquid) while it is wet!

Start cleaning pee from the mattress that has been urinated on by mixing 3 tbsp of baking soda into 10 oz of hydrogen peroxide, then add a few drops of liquid dish soap.

Dab the mixture on the pee stain, but don’t soak the material or you risk mold and mildew growing!

If that does not remove the stain make another paste mix with laundry detergent and warm water. Apply the foamy mixture and let it sit for a least half an hour before removing with a dry cloth.

Finally, vacuum the stains to remove any particles and paste that are leftover!